Alarm-clock mechanism



Feb. 10, 1931. R. DOHNALEK ALARM CLOCK macmmxsm Filed Aug. 8. 1929 3 Sheets-Shut l INVENTOR. (72. 170 72 nail 6 7% BY UM ATTORNEYJ Feb. 10, 1931. v 'R. DOHNALEK 1. 92.3 5

ALARM CLOCK MECHANI SN Filed Aug. 8. 1929 s Sheets-sheaf 2 INVENTOR.

BY $12077 waQZa/s A TTORNEYS" Feb. 10, 1931.

R. DOHNALEK ALARM CLOCK MECHANISM Filed Aug. 8. 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 l A Z; r 5.6

,H I w INVENTOR.

BY J8. DOZfidZk ATTORNEYS I Patented Feb. 10, 1931 PATENT OFFICE RUDOLF DOHNALEK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS ALARM-CLOCK MECHANISM Application filed August 8, 1929. Serial No. 384,294.

This invention relates to time controlled means for closing and opening electric circuits and has special reference to a combined circuit controller and alarm.

i The ordinary alarm clock is used to arouse people in the morning and in many cases it is necessary for a person using such clock to set the alarm at an earlier hour than they desire in order that they may have time to 1 prepare coffee or other articles for their breakfasts. electrical apparatus, as for instance cofi'ee percolators, one has to arise from fifteen or twenty minutes before they desire in order to turn on the electricity for the percolator or other like electrical cooking device. Also, in working around a house the housewife frequently wishes to cook a certain article for a definite length of time and to remove the article from the stove at the expiration of such time so that it may immediately stop cooking. In her work around the house the housewife sometimes forgets to note the time which has elapsed and article being cooked 5 is burnt or otherwise spoiled.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide, in connection with an ordinary alarm clock suitable for sounding an audible alarm, circuit controlling means so arranged as to close a circuit at a predetermined time before the sounding of the alarm and to simultaneously open the circuit and sound the alarm at the desired time.

A second important object of the invention is to provide simple and eflicient means by which the circuit closer may be actuated. A third important object of the invention is to provide simple means for setting the circuit closer to close the circuit at any desired time.

With the above and other objects in View as will be hereinafter apparent, the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and;

With the advent of modern Figure 1 is a face view of an alarm clock constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a rear view thereof.

Figure 3 is a. detail elevation of that portion of the clock mechanism controlling the circuit closer, the view also showing the circuit closer and adjacent parts.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail section on the line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a detail section on the line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the switch in open position.

Figure 8 is a wiring diagram of the invention. I

As shown in Figure 1 there is disclosed an alarm clock of the ordinary round type having a casing 10, a time dial ll and an alarm set hand 12 which is operated from the rear by a turning head 13 so that the alarm may be set in the usual manner'for any particular time it is desired that it be sounded. The 7 clock is also, of course, provided with the usual hands 14. N ow, all of these parts, together with the time train and alarm train (not shown) are those common to any alarm clock and accordingly it is not deemed neces sary in this specification to go into a detailed description of the various wheels, stafi's and other parts of the common and ordinary alarm clock mechanism with which this invention is adapted to be used, it being merely necessary to a complete understanding of the invention to set forth those parts which are in direct connection with the circuit closing mechanism.

Now, referring to Figure 5 there is there indicated the hour wheel 15 of the usual clockwork and driven by this hour wheel is an idler pinion 16 which meshes with the main wheel 17 of the circuit closer timing device and this main wheel is fixed on a sleeve 18 which is mounted on a staff 19 journaled in the frame plates 20 of the clockworks. On the forward end of this staff 19 is mounted the alarm set hand 12. On the rear end of the sleeve 18 is fixed a disk 21 which disk acts forwardly, these parts being held against tor ward movement until the notch 23 is in position in alinement with the pin 24 at wl'iich time the sleeve 18 and the parts attached thereto move forwardly underthe influence of the spring 25. It will: be noted. that this cam arrangement for tripping the circuit closing device at the proper time is substantially that employed in many alarm clocks for tripping thealarm circuit.' Behind the rear plate of the casing the stafi? 19 carries a knuriedhead 26 for setting the pin to the desired time as indicated bythe position of the hand 12 and a spring 2'? is used fric tion means to restrain the statl from accidental turning. Mounted adjacent the stafi 19 is a circuit closer stafi' 28 whereon is mounted a disk 29 to whichis connected one end of a coiled winding spring 30, the other end of said spring being fixed to the stall 28' so that rotation of the staff wmds the spring. Fixed to the disk 29to revolve therewith is a disk 31, of insulating material and this disk carries a conductor strip 32 so thatthe disk forms a rotary contact maker to bridge, when in closed position, the brushes 33 and 34 with which the circuit closer is connected to the remainder of the apparatus. Extending from the disk 22 is an arm 85 which is positioned to engage against the check member or disk 21 when thelatter is in its rearward position as shown in Figure 6 but'which is freed from such engagement when the disk moves forwardly. Also, the disk 29 carries afinger 36 which engages with the main wheel 37 of the alarm train, this wheel being mounted on a winding stail 38 and driven by the unwinding 01 the alarm spring 39 upon tripping of the alarmtrain. As before noted the remainder of the alarm device is not deemed necessary to be shown.

As shown in Figure 8 the line wire con nections lO are plugged into the sockets 41 of the usual type mounted on the case 10. From one of thesesockets a wire e2 leads to the contact 3 1. Also there is provided a second pair of sockets i?) adapted to receiv the lead wires 4,4 for connecting the clock to any suitable electric mechanism here indicated by the heating resistance as which may be taken as typical of the resistance in a percoiator, stove or the like. One of the connections 13 is connected by a wire 46 with the brush 33 while the ot ier connection 41-3 is connected by a wire 17 with the remaining connection ll. a

'In operation the alarm proper is set at closed circuit.

the time the persondesired to rise or to perform some other duty, this also being the time at which it is desired to turn off the Thehand 12 is then set to the time at which it is desired to turn on or close the circuit. The winding button or head 48. is manipulated to wind the spring 30. Now, under these circumstances the finger 35 will engage the disk 21 and the parts will be in the position shown in Figure 7 with the circuit openi- Upon the time for closing the circuit having arrived the notch 23 will be alined with the pin 24 and the disk 21 will move forwardly to free the finger 35 so that the disk 29 will rotate under the influence of the spring 30 until the finger 86 engages the teeth of the wheelB'l". At this time the parts will be in the position shown in Figured and the circuitwill be closed. The circuit will then remain closed until the audible alarm train is tripped whereupon the wheel 37 will revolve and turn the disk 29 to free the finger 36, the disk 29 rotating further under the influenceofthe spring 30. Meanwhile, the cam 22 has rotated to move the disk 21 forwardly so that the finger 35 again contactswith the disk 21 and the circuit closerfis stopped in open circuit position.

Obviously, this circuit closermay be used in connection with a wide variety of devices and the invention is not confined solely to percolators but the same alarm may be used for turning on and; off lights, setting and opening burglar alarm systems and has many other applications as will be apparent to any skilled electrician.

There has thus been provided a simple and efficient device of the kind described anc for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that minor changes. may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the ma terial spirit thereofi It is not, therefore, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. In an alarm clock, a circuit closer for an electric circuit and including a r0- tary contact carrying member, means urging said member to rotate, a stop member projecting from the rotary member to rotate therewith, an alarm train including a mem ber wherewith said stop engages, upon the contact member moving to closed position, said alarm train member moving to free the stop and permit rotation of the contact member to open circuit position upon tripping of the alarm, and time controlled mechanism normally holding the contact member in open circuit position and acting to tree the said member for closing the circuit at a predetermined time.

2. In an alarm clock, a circuit closer for an electric circuit and including a rotary contact carrying member, a manually wound spring urging said member to rotate, a stop projecting from the rotary member to rotate therewith, an alarm train including a stop engaging member engaging the stop upon the contact member moving to closed circuit position and checking further rotation of said contact member, said alarm train member moving to free the stop and permit rotation of the contact member to open circuit position upon tripping of the alarm train, and a time controlled element in the path of said stop to check the stop in open circuit position and movable at a predetermined time to free the stop and permit its movement to engage the alarm train member.

3. 11 an alarm clock, a circuit closer for an electric circuit and including a rotary contact carrying member, a manually wound spring urging said member to rotate, a stop projecting from the rotary member to rotate therewith, an alarm train including a wheel having means wherewith the stop engages and rests upon the contact member moving to circuit closing position, the rotation of said wheel upontripping of the alarm train freeing said stop to permit further rotation of said contact member, and a time controlled element in the path of said stop to bring the contact member to rest in open circuit position and movable at a predetermined time to free the stop and permit its movement to engage said wheel means.

4. In an alarm clock, a circuit closer for an electric circuit and including a rotary contact carrying member, a manually wound s rin ur in said member to rotate a sto projecting from the rotary member to rotate therewith, an alarm train including a wheel having means wherewith the stop engages and rests upon the contact member moving to circuit closing position, the rotation of said wheel upon tripping of the alarm train freeing said stop to permit further rotation of said contact member, a slidably movable check member normally positioned to be engaged by said stop in open circuit position of the contact member, a spring urging said check member out of the path of said stop, and time controlled means normally restraining said check member from movement by said spring and arranged to free the check member for movement at a predetermined time.

5. In an alarm clock, a circuit closer for an electric circuit and including a rotary contact carrying member, a manually wound spring urging said member to rotate, a stop projecting from the rotary member to rotate therewith, an alarm train including a stop engaging member engaging the stop upon the contact member moving to closed circuit position and checking further rotation of said contact member, said alarm train member moving to free the stop and permit rotation of the contact member to open circuit position upon tripping of the alarm train, a slidably movable check member normally positioned to be engaged by said stop in open circuit position of the contact member, a spring urging said check member out of the path of said stop, a cam driven by. the clock to rotate in unison therewith, said cam having said check member fixed thereto, and a pin engaged by said cam and manually movable to time the release of the check member, said cam having a low point resting on the pin to effect said release.

6. In an alarm clock, a circuit closer for an electric circuit and including a rotarycontact carrying member, a manually wound spring urging said member to rotate, a stop projecting from the rotary member to rotate therewith, an alarm train including a wheel having means wherewith the stop engages and rests upon the contact member moving to circuit closing position, the rotation of said wheel upon tripping of the alarm train freeing said stop to permit further rotation of said contact member, a slidably movable check member normally positioned to be engaged by said stop in open circuit position of the contact member, a spring urging said check member out of the path of said stop, a cam driven by the clock to rotate in unison therewith, said cam having'said check member fixed thereto, and a pin engaged by said cam and manually movable to time the release of the check member, said cam having a low point resting on the pin to effect said release.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

RUDOLF DOHNALEK. 

